Pants type garment having a seamless crotch

Abstract

A pants type garment is provided with a leg portion made from a substantially unitary stretchable piece of material which is symmetric about a center fold. Prior to being formed into the leg portion, said unitary piece of material defines a pattern containing a first V-shaped recessed cut and a second V-shaped recessed cut about the midpoint of the pattern where the crotch portion is to be located. The crotch is at the center fold of the pattern piece between the two V-shaped recessed cuts. The substantially rectangular upper portion is attached to the leg portion by a seam which runs along the first and second sides of the V-shaped recessed cuts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pants type garment comprising: a leg portion made from a substantially unitary stretchable piece of material which is symmetric about a center fold;   an upper portion made from a stretchable material;   wherein, prior to being formed into the leg portion, said unitary piece of material defining a pattern containing a first recessed cut and a second recessed cut;   said first recessed cut beginning at a first point on a first edge of the pattern for said leg portion, said point being on the left side of said center fold and in the vicinity of the crotch area of said leg portion, and continuing to a furthest inset point which is located at a first end of the center fold thereby defining a first side of said first recessed cut, and then going back toward said first edge to a second point on said first edge which is on the right side of said center fold and thereby defining a second side of said first recessed cut;   said second recessed cut beginning at a third point which is located on a second edge opposite the first edge of the pattern for said leg portion, said third point being on the left side of said center fold and in the vicinity of the crotch area of said leg portion, and continuing to a furthest inset point which is located at the opposite end of the center fold thereby defining a first side of said second recessed cut, and then going back toward said second edge to a fourth point which is located on said second edge which is on the right side of said center fold and thereby defining a second side of said second recessed cut;   said center fold being at the crotch of the pants type garment and beginning at about the furthest inset point of said first recessed cut and continuing to the furthest inset point of said second cut;   said upper portion being attached to said leg portion by a seam along the first and second sides of the first recessed cut and the first and second sides of the second recessed cut.   
     
     
       2. The pants type garment of claim 1 wherein the stretchable material is a closed cell neoprene foam covered with a knit cloth material. 
     
     
       3. The pants type garment of claim 2 wherein the knit cloth material is Nylon Tricot. 
     
     
       4. The pants type garment of claim 1 wherein the seams are butt glued and are also covered with a waterproof tape. 
     
     
       5. The pants type garment of claim 1 further comprising a first ans second harness strap, said harness straps being fixed to the upper portion at one end and having connecting means at the other end, the connecting means of the first harness strap being adapted to be connected to either the connecting means of the second harness strap or to a third connecting means attached to the upper portion. 
     
     
       6. A pants type garment of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of the centerfold to the circumference of the thigh is from 0.304 to 1 and 0.259 to 1. 
     
     
       7. The pants type garment of claim 6 wherein the ratio is about 0.28 to 1. 
     
     
       8. The pants type garment of claim 1 wherein the first and second recessed cut are from 0.75" to 4" width. 
     
     
       9. The pants type garment of claim 8 wherein said recessed cuts are about 2.5" in width.